The Importance of Language Acquisition Essay - 1623 Words

It is known, even to a person to whom the entire study of language isnt familiar, that the language is the greatest factor on which most of the human activities depend. Without any form of language, any cooperation and communication would be almost, if not totally impossible (World Book Encyclopedia 62). This significance of language is what draws scientists to study origin, differences and connections between languages. Constant change of todays languages is what amazes linguists even more. With the emergings of the new nations there was quite a number of new languages. One such case is the language of Former Yugoslavia, Serbo-Croatian, which is now called Croatian by Croats, Bosnian by Bosnians, and Serbian by Serbs. Though these†¦show more content†¦Their alphabet is the foundation of todays Latin and Cyrillic alphabets used in most Indo-European family languages. Phoenician letters looked really different than Latin and Cyrillic. The Cyrillic alphabet is the first to eme rge since Greeks have borrowed Phoenician symbols first. Most of the signs have been changed when they entered Greek. Romans too needed some kind of symbols for their language, so they too used Phoenician letters, but via Greeks. Romans changed them how they wanted and created Latin; Greeks altered them their way and created Cyrillic. Though arrived from one common source, these two alphabets are considerably different from each other. This example of how a common ancestry can be changed and result in several different progenies is a very interesting idea which is investigated by the linguists. There is a theory that todays languages are indeed descendants of distinct parent languages. For example many scentists are serious when they talk about passà © Indo-European language that is the source of about fifty languages including English and French. (Colin 112). Linguists hypothesize that all through history there were plenty of reasons for language change. One such is a theory of tr ibe movement, which states that when a tribe enters a particular territory and settles there for longer time, it will influence people not originally from their tribe to begin speaking that tribes language. The best way toShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of A Second Language Acquisition1349 Words   |  6 Pagesdifferent languages, sometimes even more than that. The United States is often referred to as the melting pot of many cultures. This is shown in everyday life from an instruction manual for new products to having alternate language television channels. The use of a second language is becoming a necessity of life. Second language acquisition (SLA) is the acquiring of a language that is not the native language spoken by an individual. It is often referred to as speaking a foreign language, but it isRead MoreEssay Language Acquisition Principles1079 Words   |  5 PagesKrashen is one of the experts when it comes to language acquisition. He has theorized on the subject of second language acquisition for years and has been quite influential in this field of linguistics. He approaches the subject of second language acquisition by presenting his five theories for acquiring a second language. Aida Walqui is another expert; however, she approaches the subject from the aspect that contextual factors are involved in second language learning. Even though Krashen and WalquiRead MoreFactors that Promote Rapid Language Learning in Children?1406 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to Chomsky (1972), language acquisition is one of the exclusive characteristics of human beings and is known as the jewel in the crown of cognition (Pinker, 1994). It is well known that other species on earth have communication system also, but differ substantially in their qualities from human communication. Several attempts have been made to teach apes to speak (Allen Gardner, 1969; Savage-Rumbaugh, Sevcik, Hopkins, 1988), but language acquisition is a mystery of human beings, itRead MoreThe Identity Of Saudi Arabia900 Words   |  4 Pages2013). Seeing the language as social practice, we consider its influenced and influencing on our identity. Moreover, in language learning and/or acquisition, identity is subject to change and struggle. For a first look, Saudi Arabia lacks the diversity in concern of languages that other countries have, such as the United States and Canada. However, this monolingual situation is deceivable. Hence, there is a language diversity that need to be addressed and discussed. Mehri language is one of the familyRead MoreEssay Infant Language Development 1662 Words   |  7 PagesLanguage is a communicative system of words and symbols unique to humans. The origins of language are still a mystery as fossil remains cannot speak. However, the rudiments of language can be inferred through studying linguistic development in children and the cognitive and communicative abilities of primates as discussed by Bridgeman (2003). This essay illustrates the skills infants have that will eventually help them to acquire language. The topics covered are firstly, the biological aspects, theRead MoreInput Vs. Output: Key Factors In Second Language Acquisition.1730 Words   |  7 Pages Output: Key Factors in Second Language Acquisition Even before the foundation Linguistic Society of America (LSA) in 1924 to nowadays, researchers have tried to find the key elements that a good second language lesson should have in order to help its learners acquire the necessary knowledge effectively (Tarone, E. 2014). These scholars have taken into consideration many aspects such as: the route and rate of acquisition, the interlanguage development and language transfer, the universal grammarRead MoreThe Natural Approach ( Na ) Developed By Tracy Terrell And Supported By Stephen Krashen Essay1656 Words   |  7 PagesStephen Krashen, is a language teaching approach based on how babies naturally learned their native language. The efficiency of the NA is derived from its very own structure: a communicative-based approach, which produces superior results than any habit-drill approach. Its own name reflects the importance of this method, since it duplicates the natural path of first language acquisition into second language acquisiti on. Therefore, students should first be able to acquire language before they are ableRead MoreProblems Associated With Language Education1472 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many difficulties associated with language education, especially for pre-service teachers. Throughout the weeks, I have learnt several issues that can be problematic when teaching a second language to students, especially in regards of the Pre-service teachers who may seem inexperienced and unable to perform. Moreover, there is a difficulty in achieving expertise with a secondary language, without the complex understanding of the theories that assist in learning. In this essay I will attemptRead MoreTeaching English As A Second Language Instruction1302 Words   |  6 Pagesextremely important to learn and reflect on language acquisition theories made by many different theorist. As New Zealand is becoming more and more culturally and ethnically diverse (Stats NZ, 2013). This means classrooms will be more diverse . Hence it is important to have knowledge pedagogically on how teacher deliver a second language lesson and how to support ESOL students. Looking at Krashen’s theory, it is broken down into five hypothesis. Acquisition/learning, monitor, natural order, input andRead MoreCharacteristics Of A First And Second Language : Behaviorism, Innatism And Social Interactionist Essay1641 Words   |  7 Pagesexplain the phenomenon of language acquisition. These models were influenced by variety of disciplines and research directions, such as cognitive psychology, linguistics, etc.; therefore, the models relate to linguistic development in various ways. One of the most striking differences between the approaches is the perception of the place of heredity and environment in the process of acquiring language, but as we shall see each approach gives them a different weight and importance. In this paper we describe